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PORT CHESTER, N.Y. – Several school districts in the Sound Shore region are reassuring parents and students that their schools are safe in the wake of Friday's
shooting in Newtown, Conn
.

The shooting has raised concerns about school safety in the Sound Shore given that it happened only 55 miles away in the adjacent Fairfield County.

Port Chester Public Schools Superintendent Edward Kliszus said in a
letter to parents
that their children are safe, adding that the district is working closely with law enforcement to ensure that safety procedures meet the highest standards.

“We have safety procedures in place to protect your children and our staff,” Kliszus said. “We will continue to run our lock down and evacuation drills regularly.”

Kliszus said doors of the buildings will remain locked. Only authorized individuals are allowed to enter. Port Chester Public Schools also has a policy requiring visitors to immediately report to the school office to sign in.

“Unauthorized individuals are not permitted to roam our buildings,” Kliszus said. “We also ask that if you see suspicious persons near our schools that you contact law enforcement immediately.”

Rye City School District Superintendent Frank Alvarez said safety is a major concern in schools not only in the immediate area but in the nation.
Alvarez said
in a press release that emergency management procedures are reviewed annually by the district and students practice them throughout the year.

“Please be assured that our district administrators will review our emergency management plans once again based on what we can learn from this most recent event,” Alvarez said.

The White Plains school district put out a
press release
from the University of Maryland on how to deal with traumatic events in schools.